As you all are well aware, The Lisbon Treaty (Article 11.4, TEU) provides for the possibility for at least one million EU citizens from a minimum of seven European Union member states to propose legislation to the European Commission on matters where the EU has competence to legislate.

The economic crisis has been strangling the whole of Europe for six years now. Austerity measures at national level have proved to be ineffective and devastating to local communities. We believe that it is high time to foster a strong grassroots movement through a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) that calls for the implementation of a European special plan for sustainable development and employment. Given the limits of the austerity policies that have been put in place, this seems to be the main way to overcome the crisis. What we need to tackle the crisis properly is a New Deal to stimulate the economy and create employment at European level. The plan has to be financed with own resources.

The ECI proposal is promoted and supported by a wide array of political, economic and social forces: European federalists, trade unions, civil society organisations, mayors of major cities, and personalities of the cultural world. National committees for its promotion were set up in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain.

We would like to invite you to attend a meeting with the promoters of the ECI, Mr Paolo Ponzano, Mr Antonio Longo and Mr. Ugo Ferruta (Italian committee), Mr Philippe Grosjean (Belgian committee), Jean Francis Billion (French committee) that will be convened in the European Parliament